Need

Needs are desires of a submissive (or dominant) which cannot go unmet
over time without harm. This is in contrast to wants
which can go unmet without harm.

In O&P, it is the dominant's
responsibility to ensure that needs are
addressed, although the practicalities of achieving this may be
delegated to the submissive in question or a third party. Different
needs have different levels of urgency and frequency, and the
elasticity of a need reflects this. Some needs,
such as oxygen, are not at all elastic and a dominant has little scope
in prioritising them; but others, such as leading a purposeful life and
growing as an individual, are very elastic and frequently put aside for
a time in favour of more important tasks.